Avoid These 7 Common Curly Hair Mishaps

Avoid These 7 Common Curly Hair Mishaps

Love your curls? Have you ever wanted to care for your curls, but don’t know how you do so without doing worse damage to it?

While it’s impossible to keep your hair from being exposed to numerous factors that can harm your curls, it’s POSSIBLE to care for them, if you know what to do. With that said, here are 7 common mishaps to avoid with your curly hair, along with solutions to them.

1. Harsh Shampooing

“Washing your curly hair is considered a talent in the beauty community,” says Phoebe Radcliffe-Brown, a lifestyle writer at Paper fellows and State of writing. “Some people believe that scrubbing your head vigorously is effective cleaning. However, that’s not true. In fact, scrubbing harshly can actually destroy your curl pattern. So, when washing your hair, use a small amount of product to gently massage into the scalp, while ignoring the ends of your hair. Afterwards, let the cleanser rinse throughout your hair.”

2. Over-Styling

Just because you can style your curls in many ways than one, doesn’t mean that you should overdo it. In fact, curls are great whenever they're nourished and healthy. So, straightening the hair with flat irons, permanent chemical treatments, or semi-permanent chemical treatments can lead to damaged hair. So, heat-style no more than once a week.

3. Not Caring For Scalp

Believe it or not, your scalp is the most important part of your hair – especially when you have curls. So, it’s very important to take care of your scalp to ensure that your curls will stay healthy-looking. You may want to invest in a scalp treatment that you can put on in the evening. And, you can use a hot oil treatment that you can apply onto the scalp once a week. Such treatments can help your curls grow and maintain their pattern.

4. Not Using The Right Products

Not sure which products are right for your curls? You’re not alone. Since no two curl patterns are created equal, it can be hard to find the right product that will care for your curls.

So, when searching for suitable products, find some that can nourish your hair. (Nourishment is a good foundation for hair care.) Also, find products that are designed specifically for curly hair. And, it’s important to apply the products to your hair when it’s wet, because that not only allows hair to absorb as much of the nourishment as possible, but the products won’t weigh your hair down.

5. Ditching The Conditioner

Not conditioning your hair is a BIG mistake. Your curls need to have plenty of moisture to stay happy.

Therefore, the recommended number of times to deep-condition your hair is two times a month. Or, if you have tighter curls, deep condition once a week for extra moisture and less frizz.

6. Not Brushing Correctly

“While brushing your curly hair may seem like a bad idea, the real issue comes from brushing when it’s dry,” says Alyssa Flannery, a beauty blogger at Essay roo and Lia help. “If you want to detangle your hair, brush it in the shower while your conditioner is still in. Having conditioner in your hair will avoid breakage and reduce frizz. If you try to brush your hair when its dry, you’ll end up getting more knots and frizz. So, when in the shower, wash your hair in sections, and gently shampoo in a downward motion as you brush it out.”

7. No Hair Protection At Night

Finally, your curly hair needs to be protected at night. Not properly securing your hair nightly will cause hair damage and frizz, especially when you have that habit of tossing and turning, and laying your head on a fabric pillowcase. (Fabric tends to suck the moisture out of your hair.)

Your best bet is to sleep on a silk pillowcase, or wear a silk nightcap. Silk helps protect your hair from hair damage (aggravated by other fabrics), and won’t suck up your curls’ moisture.

Conclusion

The good news is, the solutions mentioned are easy to implement into your regular hair care routine. While these 7 common curly hair mistakes can happen at any time, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about them. You have options!

So, if you want your curls to thrive, then avoid these 7 mistakes, and stay on track with these easy solutions to get the best out of your hair regimen.

Kristin Herman is a writer and editor at UK Writings and Academized. She is also a contributing writer for online publications, such as Boom Essays. As a marketing writer, she blogs about the latest trends in digital advertising and social media marketing.